COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State men's hockey team scored three unanswered third-period goals to defeat Michigan State, 5-3, Friday in Value City Arena. Junior leading scorer Ryan Dzingel led the way for the Buckeyes with a hat trick and four points, including the game-winning tally.

The Buckeyes, now 11-6-0 on the year and 1-2-0-0 in the Big Ten, and Spartans (6-10-2, 0-2-1-1 Big Ten) will close the series at 7:05 p.m. Saturday in Value City Arena.

Ohio State led 1-0 after the first period but the Spartans scored back-to-back goals in the second period to take a 2-1 lead with five minutes left in the stanza. Dzingel tallied his first goal of the game 1:54 later for a 2-2 game but the Spartans answered with a tally with 37 seconds left in the period to carry a 3-2 lead into the third. Junior Nick Oddo tallied just 17 seconds into the third to tie the game at 3 and Dzingel scored 1:13 after to push Ohio State ahead, 4-3. Dzingel completed his hat trick - the first in Big Ten Conference history - with less than five minutes in regulation, giving the Buckeyes a two-goal cushion. Freshman goalie Matt Tomkins had 33 saves in his first game since Nov. 9. Oddo had two assists for a three-point night. Max McCormick had a two-assist night and Szczechura added an assist for two points.

Ohio State led 1-0 after the first period. With two Spartans penalized, the Buckeyes had a two-minute 5-on-3 advantage. The squad converted 39 seconds later, as junior Max McCormick found senior Alex Szczechura at the far post and he was able to shoot it home before the goalie could get over. Freshman defenseman Drew Brevig had the second assist on the power play goal. Shots were 12-9 in favor of Ohio State in the period.

The Spartans held a 3-2 lead after the second period on a late goal. Matt Berry scored back-to-back tallies at 6:38 and 15:00 to tie the game and put the Spartans ahead for the first time. At 16:54 Dzingel scored on the rush, taking a pass from junior Nick Oddo. Sophomore blueliner Sam Jardine started the play up ice and had the second assist. In the final minute, Spartan Joe Cox was able to score off a scramble at 19:23 for a 3-2 Spartan advantage. Michigan State outshot Ohio State, 15-7, in the period.

Ohio State outscored Michigan State, 3-0, in the third period for the win. Just 17 seconds into the stanza Oddo put in the rebound of a Nick Schilkey shot to tie the game at 3-all, with Dzingel picking up the second assist. At 1:30 Dzingel broke through the defense and scored to put Ohio State ahead, with Oddo and Tomkins picking up assists as they sent Dzingel into the zone. Dzingel completed his hat trick at 16:25, scoring on the power play with a slap shot from near the point. Szczechura and McCormick had the helpers on the tally. Tomkins stopped all 12 shots he faced in the third, while Ohio State put 11 shots on net. The game ended with Michigan State on a 5-on-3 power play with the net empty for a 6-on-3 advantage, but the Buckeyes held the Spartans to juts one shot on goal.

For the game, Michigan State outshot Ohio State, 36-30. Tomkins played 59:54 and had 33 saves. Jake Hildebrand made 25 saves in 59:13 for the Spartans.

Ohio State converted 2-of-3 power play chances in the game, with the Spartans 1-for-5. Ohio State has at least one power play goal in each of its last five games (9-for-19, 47.4%). On the year, the team has converted 19-of-82 chances (23.2 percent) to rank in the Top 10 nationally.

Dzingel has a 10-game point streak, with 12 goals, eight assists and 20 points in the stretch. He leads the Big Ten with 27 points this season, ranking in the Top 5 nationally with 1.59 points per game. It was his second career four-point day after two goals and two assists at Michigan Nov. 19, 2011 and his second career hat trick after scoring three times vs. Penn state Dec. 29, 2012.

Oddo had his third three-point game of the season and he has eight points (2g, 6a) in his last three games combined. He has a career-high 12 assists and 17 points this season. McCormick now has 20 point this season - including 13 assists - for the third 20-point season of his career.

Ohio State is averaging 4.00 goals a game to rank in the Top 3 in the NCAA in scoring offense. The team has three or more goals in all but two games this season.

Postgame Quotes Steve Rohlik, Ohio State head coachOn the first Big Ten win and keeping momentum from the Mercyhurst series "I think that is first and foremost: to go out and get points. We went back and forth in the second period and I give them credit. We got challenged tonight and we came out and had a good third period."

On Michigan State's goals in the second period"Everybody has been in these games and everybody has made mistakes. You can go one of two directions. I challenge guys to go out there and go the right direction. The average players let it bug you, the great players put mistakes behind them and our team did that. "

Ryan Dzingel, Ohio State junior forwardOn his line's chemistry "I feel like our line has been clicking and we know where each other are on the ice. I really enjoy playing with these guys and I have been fortunate enough to get a couple goals." On scoring 20 points in 10 games "I think a lot of it has to do with my linemates. I am shooting the puck finally. Last year and early in the season, I wasn't shooting as much and now I am finding a way to get it on the net and hoping it goes in."